'One of the biggest pleasures of this commission has been getting to know Charlotte Mew's poems. Stephen Oliver got in touch with me a couple of years ago to suggest the idea, and gave me a book of her collected works as an introduction. It was so exciting to discover a world of poetry I knew nothing about, and even better to have the guidance of poet Julia Copus (who is currently writing a biography of Mew) in understanding and selecting poems to set to music. The Farmer's Bride, Mew's most famous poem, was the one we all agreed we wanted, and I chose two shorter poems to frame it. My starting point for a musical language was The Farmer's Bride, which is written in a clear rhythmic, rhyming structure that needed to be reflected musically, and I wanted the music to suggest (if not entirely stay in) the world that existed when Charlotte Mew was writing. It has been really exciting to get to know these poems and I hope my settings can do them justice!'

Click to listen to an excerpt from Three Charlotte Mew Settings

A new work by Dominic Wills

Born in 1999, Dominic lives in Fordham near Newmarket. He started learning the piano at the age of seven which led to his interest in composition. In 2014, he began formal composition lessons with Ewan Campbell. In 2015, he won the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year competition with his string quartet: "Balance of Power" and was shortlisted for the BBC Proms Inspire competition with a piece for 3 clarinets. In 2016, his fanfare "Presto" was chosen for the Royal Opera House Fanfare competition and recorded by the Opera House Orchestra under Sir Antonio Pappano. Dominic studies piano with Patrick Hemmerlé and enjoys exploring a range of repertoire. He also enjoys listening to classical music and attending concerts. Away from music, he enjoys wildlife photography and road cycling.

Click to listen to an excerpt from Over The Rolling Waters Go

If you’d like a copy of any of these recordings, please contact the Trust at: a.cuddigan@btinternet.com or call 01728 452 035